special report

kid zone

It’s All About Fun
Readership: boys and girls ages 4 - 12

SUBMISSION SPECIFICS:

KID ZONE is a bimonthly craft and activity magazine. KID ZONE has recently changed ownership and is now part of the Scott Publications family of magazines. According to the website “KID ZONE empowers children 4-12 years to learn new talents, expand their creativity and build their confidence.” The magazine includes “craft activities, kid-friendly features, games, puzzles, trivia, recipes, jokes and stories.”

In the past, the one KID ZONE fiction piece has featured the “Gang from Houligan’s Hollow” and is not listed among the areas where KID ZONE takes freelance submissions. Therefore, the freelance friendly areas are the Zones (regular departments) including Critter Zone (animal trivia article with an activity), Chomp Zone (unusual recipes), Mega Zone (Okay, I’m not sure what this one is -- extreme things?), Culture Zone (World Cultures), Fun Zone (Seasonal/Holiday with party craft), Discovery Zone (Science), Info Zones (Fun Facts Trivia).

Send submissions to:

Editor: Jennifer Winquist
KID ZONE Magazine
450 Benson Building
Sioux City, IA 51101

WHAT THEY WANT:

Magazine Website does not contain guidelines.
In the past, KID ZONE has preferred complete manuscripts. Crafts, activities, and puzzles should fit into one of the zones and accompany an article that would also fit the zone category. Articles run from 500 - 1500 words. Seasonal material needs to be sent 4 months in advance. Before being purchased by Scott Publications, KID ZONE bought all-rights for one year. With a new publisher, rights may have changed so read the contract carefully. Pays on publication.

Most of the puzzles were simple -- possibly all staff created. They could really use some unique and unusual puzzles or quizzes but I suspect they don’t buy them. Recipes can use ovens and common kitchen appliances without warning. If recipes uses unusual appliances (like the homemade camp stove in this issue) special safety sidebars are added.

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

Contents:
KID ZONE
July 2004

Meet the Gang from Houligan’s Hollow. Used a logic puzzle to introduce the magazine’s mascots. No attribution, probably staff written.

Fourth of July Matchup. Picture Puzzle -- find matching graphics.

Kid Zone Crossword. Basic square crossword.

Antonym Quiz. Match the opposites.

Word Find. Summer.

Kid Zone Pages. Reader submitted drawings.

Info Zone. “Strange Plants and Flowers” 7 unusual fact blurbs about plants -- walking on water lilies, venus fly trap, ancient bristlecone pines, largest flower in the world, corpse flower, strangle fig. No art with fact. Plus a craft -- making carnations from coffee filters and food color.

Word Find. Vacation.

Critter Zone. “Butterflies” by Diane De Cola. Trivia article on butterflies with four fun fact balloons and a most common butterfly sidebar. Also includes a butterfly bookmark by Mary Ayres, and a butterfly plaque made from seashells by Karen Booth.
“Butterfly Gardening” by Lisa Hart. How to attract butterflies to your yard. Includes photos.

Catcher Matchup. Another simple matching picture puzzle.

Chomp Zone. “Campsite Cooking” by Carol Kinnee. Building a camp oven and recipes to make with it -- pineapple upside down cake, pizza and hobo burgers. Also includes a safety sidebar and a cooking tips sidebar.

Mazey’s Mischief. Reader submitted riddles.

Info Zone. “Seeing Spots” Trivia facts about spotted animals. A craft making a ladybug for the garden from landscape pavers.

Mega Zone. “Fireworks.” The history of fireworks. Crafts with the article -- a wreath and a pin with a firecracker theme by Karen Booth. A “popper” that uses water and bicarbonate to blow the lid off a film canister.

Swimming Memories by Neal Levin. Coloring picture and quiz to see how much you remember from the picture.

Fill in the Answer. Word puzzle with clues to make words that all begin with “car.”

Culture Zone. Introduction to the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. Map, flag, language (including a sidebar of three French words), history, problems, games children play, holidays, and climate. Activities accompanying article are recipe for crepes and salt paste magnets.

Story Zone. Simple bookmarks and a story -- “The Visitor” written by the magazine editor, Jennifer Winquist. The story features the “Gang from Houligan’s Hollow” and is mean to impart a moral lesson.

Burman’s Brain Benders. Two logic puzzles.

Fun Zone. “Who Turns Out the Stars at Night” by Barbara Mank. A stargazer sleepover is suggested and the article is full of star facts. Constellations, why stars twinkle, star colors, and fun star book suggestions. The activity connected to the article is the party plan for the stargazer party: decorations, food, crafts.

Info Zone: On the Beach. Beach trivia including safety, animals, and sand. Accompanying craft is a decorated beach bucket.

Butterfly matchup. Another matching picture puzzle.

Discovery Zone. “Thunder” by Cathy Fulton. A poem about thunder begins the article. What causes thunder, and a bit about sound. Sidebar is a lightening quiz that stresses safety. Craft in this zone is a decorated t-shirt with a lightning bolt. Last sidebar is thunderstorm safety tips.

Stained Glass Butterfly. A coloring picture.

This page last updated on 01 August 2004